The Flotilla

If you visit, I highly recommend the chef's table. Such an amazing experience, Chef Shayne was lovely and was happy to answer any questions we had and as busy as he was was always happy for a chat with us. Food was delicious, presentation was beautiful. Accommodating with dietary requirements which is great see.Floor staff were so friendly (I'm sorry I don't remember anyone's name) but their wine knowledge was incredible, recommending some great wines to finish our beautiful evening.After a wonderful time one owners and some of the floor staff recommend some beautiful stops to visit during our stay in New Castle.I would highly recommend to everyone and we will definitely be back!

Was there for the weekend lunch menu in June. Every dish was amazing. Flavours were well balanced and the food tasted as delicious as it looked.Definitely a place that I look forward to coming back again.

(4.5 stars)Dusky pink clouds make Wickham a surprisingly inviting place to dine. The pale blue exterior of The Flotilla disappears into the sky. The building’s light industrial bones are enhanced by shaded front decks reminiscent of construction site scaffolding. Inside, the hard industrial remnants are softened by low lighting, slouchy tan leather banquettes and a syrupy warm welcome from restaurant manager Eduardo Molina.We bond over wine. With a partner who works in wine imports, Molina tells me he’s a “high functioning, raging alcoholic”. He uses his lived expertise to steer us to the 2021 CRFT Arranmore Vineyard Chardonnay ($110). I love it: balanced oak, malolactic fermentation with enough acidity to drive it, a maritime salty lick and a coconut and vanilla-tinged nose you could get lost in. Molina also delivers extra snacks plucked from the baller menu ($120/person): punchy smoked fish rillettes in bottarga cream and caramelised butternut pumpkin beignets dusted with togarashi in a soy emulsion. They contrast nicely with the normal menu’s ($95/head) more delicate ajo blanco, a chilled white soup with soothing macadamia cream, peppery pickled celery and green grapes.Head chef Jake Deluca celebrates the season with summer squash sitting over confit eggplant, smoked stracciatella, zucchini, and gremolata. While we both welcomed the amount of vegetables, my dining companion craved a bit more protein on the dishes. When it was there, it was fabulous, across Barigoule mussels and Cape Grim wagyu. The mussels, pickled in vinegar and white wine, are clever and original. Served with sweet onions and salt’n’vinegar chips, they are exactly what you want to eat after a day at the beach: nostalgia taken to the modern day. The short rib was marinated in lemon and buttermilk to break it down into a charred piece of ridiculously soft deliciousness against a textbook potato galette, sharp mustard and a pot of juicy zucchini on romesco. The star of the three small dessert courses was the poached blood plums with a breakfast-inspired collection of oats, yoghurt ice cream and milk tuille sails that will float you off into the night with another nostalgic grin.

This is truly a beautiful restaurant experience. The food, drinks, atmosphere and staff are all amazing. This is by far our favourite restaurant in Newcastle and our go-to for special occasions and sometimes not so special occasions.

Fantastic service and well designed seasonal menu with matching wines. Highly recommended and will definitely return!

Had an incredible dinner with my partner here last weekend. We were seated in front of the kitchen with a surprisingly fun view into the kitchen.The staff were operating together like a team and clearly put tonnes of effort into the dining experience as a whole. Some dishes were modified due to allergies but it didn't feel like a substitute, rather a clearly thought out modification to the dish.Some may complain about the price but we thought it was well worth it and walked away having eaten incredibly tasty food with exceptional wine pairings (would love a copy of the wine pairings as an aside) and a feeling that the staff deeply cared about our experience. Won't be forgetting our experience for a long time.

Beware of extras with extortionate charges - felt a bit like we were being scammed.We had a late Sunday lunch here. The very friendly waitress asked if we were local (answer, no were visiting Australia on honeymoon), explained there was a set 5 course $85 menu then said sometimes the chef likes to add a little extra dish

Dead set one of the best restaurant experiences I've ever had. Out there menu with crazy techniques, fantastic produce and put together perfectly. Plus fantastic fun service that went well above and beyond to keep the vibe high. My new fave joint ANYWHERE.

Top tier dining experience. Set menu, but very accommodating with changes for my pregnant fiancé. Pleasantly full at the end of the 5 course meal, and pairing wine selection was perfect.

An exceptional place for a special night out. We went last night for the 4th time and the new winter menu was the best ever. Thankyou for catering for vegans and not just is a token way